Bag feeding means



p 1931- H. B. FOULDER BAG FEEDING MEANS Filed Oct. 10. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR flswryfi. 1 011 [(162 Sept. 15, 1931. H. B. FOULDER 1,823,597

BAG FEEDING MEANS Filed Oct. 10. 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WIIIIIH'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIZ INVENTOR 4 :43: ATTORNEY Sept 15 1931. H B FQULDER 7 1,823,597

BAG FEEDING MEANS Filed Oct. 10. 1929 4 Sfi'eets-Sheet s INVENTOR 2 o 2 7 3. i511! 6Z6! v 5 XL AM ATTORNEY Sept. 15, 1931.

H. B. FOULDER BAG FEEDING MEANS Filed Oct.

10, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 b s $14 a; N

H 5 $1 l s k q I[ hi HIW p 3 I I I If??? LJJJML INVENTOR fi e/2234b. [ZZZ/d6? BY L w 4 M ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

HENRY B. FOULDER, F 'GLENBROOK, CONNECTICUT BAG FEEDING MEANS Application filed October 10,1829. Serial No. \398 ,587

This invention relates to bag feeding means and more particularly relatesto an apparatus which delivers bags fed thereto to any suitable device, which may be a bagholding turn-table, which holds the bags for tying, the apparatus also preferably puckering and compressing the necks of the bags in the bag-holding means.

Many bag tying machines have associated n therewith a turn-table having a series of equidistant notches about the periphery in which the puckered necks of the bags to be tied may be placed and held, the turn-table being rotated step by step to place the notches successively in a predetermined position relative to a bag tying machine which fastens the necks of the bags held in these notches successively by means of wire, cord or other binding material. A machine suited to this purpose and including a turn-table of the character referred to is disclosed in my prior application. for improvements .in bag tying machines, filed December 14, 1928, Serial No. 326,125.

The principal object of the present inven tion is to provide apparatus to which bags may be delivered by an operator or by mechanical means and which dispenses the bags successively to suitable bag-holding means.

My objects also include the provision of apparatus of the character described which puckers and compresses the necks of the feed bags in the holding means. v

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the characterdewhich is automatic in operation and requires little or no attention.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of the character described, which is adapted to operate efficiently and with certainty athigh speed,

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus which is adapted to take bags delivered thereto, compress andpucker p the necks of the bags, and successively carry and hold them, with thenecks puckered in a predetermined position'for being tied about the neck Other objects of this invention .will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. v r Y In ac'cordancewith this invention, the apparatus is provided with bag receiving means to which bags may be delivered either by hand or by mechanical means. At predetermined intervals the mechanism is actulated to engage a bag positioned in the receiving means and to deliver the bag to a suitable bag-holding means, such as a notch in av turn-table, which has been actuated into proper position to receive the bag. Preferably a pusher arm is then actuated to pucker and compressthe neck of the bag in the notch of the turntable. When the apparatus includes such a turn-table, it may then be actuated to move the bag behind a guard whichfkeeps the bag puckered and compressed in the notch until it has been tied either manually or' by means of a suitable tool or machine, mechanism being also provided to move the turn-table, step by step, tobring the notches thereof successively into proper position to receive a bag,

in synchronism with the mechanism which delivers the bags thereto.

In order that a clearer understanding of this invention may be had, attention is here by directed to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application and illustrating certain possible embodiments of this invention and in which:

Fig. l is a top view of the apparatus, including a turntable;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of the apparatus with the cover plates removed;

' edges come to this stop member.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of adetail, and is taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but shows the mechanism in a different stage of operation;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, and is taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6; g V

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, and is taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4, and

I Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a portion of the apparatus, and is taken on the line 77 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout several views of the drawings. 9 a

Referring to the drawings, to illustrate one form of bag-holding means with which my invention may be associated, there is shown a turntable 1, having the notched bag receiving and holding means 2, dis- ,posed about its periphery. The turn-table is driven intermittently by a main drive shaft 3 connected by gearing 4 to a shaft 5 which is connected with suitable mechanism, not shown, whereby as the shaft 3 rotates continuously, the turn-table is ad vanced step by step a distance corresponding to the distance between each two notched members 2. A turn-table and driving means of this character is shown in my said copending application, mentioned above.

The mechanism for feeding bags, such as 6, into the notched members 2 of the turntable as each is brought into a predeterminted position, includes suitable pedestals or framework 7, supporting bag receiving and guiding means comprising two guide bars 8 and 9 separated by a narrow passage 10 into which bags, with necks extended, are adapted to be placed by manual or by mechanical means. The outer ends of members '8 and 9 may be flared outwardly as at 11 to facilitate the placement of bags in pass age 10. The bags are held in place by friction, or if the bags have hems, such as 12, the hems may rest on the guides. Slightly in advance of the guide plates 8 and is a bar 13 having a curved over end 14, which is normally disposed in the path of movement of a bag inserted in the passage 10. The bags are intended to be inserted into the passage 10 until their front Bar 13 is secured to a shaft 15 which is rotatably supported in the framework 7. To this shaft is secured a lever 16 which is connected to a rod 17. This rod has a pin or roller 18 which rides against the surface of a cam 19 fixed to the driving shaft 3,

mined times will be in normal bag-stopping position. Pin 18 is resiliently retained against the cam 19 by means of a spring 20 compressed between a collar 21 secured to shaft 17 and a bracket 22 which supports shaft 17.

Also adjacent the front end of passage 10, is disposed a disk 23 rotatably mounted on a pin or stud 24 carried on the framework. Adjacent disk 23 and also close to of disk 25 is a similar'disk 30, which is,

secured to'a shaft 31 rotatably mounted in a similar bracket 32, whose arms 32 are rotatably mounted on shaft 29. Disk is continuously held against disk 23 by means 3 of a spring 33 fastened to a lug 34 on bracket 31 and to a lug 35 on bracket 27. Shaft 29 has secured thereto a beveled gear 36 which meshes with a beveled gear 37 secured to a'shaft 38 and connected to drive shaft 3 through beveled gears 39. A gear 40 is secured to shaft 29 which constantly meshes with a gear 41 fixed to shaft 26 and with a gear 42 fixed to shaft 31. Thus disks 25 and 30 are constantly driven from drive shaft 3.

Means are provided for advancing disk 25 against disk 23 at stated intervals in order to grip a bag therebetween and cause the bag to be advanced between these coacting disks. To this end there is secured to shaft 15 a lever 43 which engages a pin 44 carried on an extension 45 of one of the arms 28 of bracket 27. A spring 46, secured at one end to a pin 47 on bracket arm 28 and at its other end to the framework 7, tends to move the disk 25 against the disk 23 and at the same time, keeps the pin 44 against the lever 43. Thus it will be apparent that at stated times during the rotation of drive shaft v3 and by reason of the action of cam 19,, lever 43 will be oscillated at predetermined intervals, alternately causing disk 25 to move away from disk 23 and allowing spring 46 to move disk 25 against disk 23.

One of the arms 28 of bracket 27 has an extension 48 which is in line with one of the arms 32 of bracket 32 to prevent spring 33 from causing disk 30 to bear too strongly against disk 23.

By reason of the fact that when shaft 15 rotates in one direction, shaft 29 rotates in the opposite direction, it will be apparent that whenever disk 25 is moved toward disk I.

23, the stop arm 13 will be moved away from disk 23 and out of the path of movement of bags through the apparatus.

It is apparent that at stated times, disk 25 is moved against disk 23 and a bag which the pusher.

has been disposed passage .10 against stop arm 13 will be engaged between these disks and fed forwardly into engagement between disks and 23 and will be further advanced by these means into one of the notched holding means 2 of the turn-table l, the notched holding means having been brought into proper position to receive the bag by its mechanism, which is connected with the drive shaft 73 to operate in synchronism with the bag feeding apparatus described.

The feeding appanatus may be prov dd with suitable coverplates 49 and '50, which supplemented by a guide finger 51 pivoted as .at 52 to cover 49 and resiliently held place by spring 53-, provides a gluideway which aids in directing the course of the bags through the feeding apparatus and into the proper notch of the turn-table. By pro riding the spring pressed finger 51, jamming is prevented when the bags are crumpled intermediate the turn-table and the place where disk 30 engages disk '23.

lVhen the feeding apparatus has entered a bag in or adjacent one of the notched holding means in the turn-table, a lever comprising a main section 54: and a pivoi'ed end section 55 having a bifurcated extremity 5.6 is moved to engage against the rear of the bag and to push it home and compress the neck of the bag in the notched bag holding element. Lever 5-51- is secured to a shaft '57 supported on the framework 7 and to this shaft is also secured a lever .58, which is connected by means of a rod 59 to a hand which encircles an eccentric or cam disk 61., which is secured to drive shaft 3.

Preferably, there is associated with the turn-table, means comprising bars 62 which extend from near the point at which the bags are entered into the notches of the turntable to the place where the bags are to be tied, which prevent the bags 'from' falling out of the notched holding means and, preferably also, tending to compress the necks of the bags :more tightly into the notches as the turn-table rotates. The end 56 of the pusher whicn engages the necks of the bags is adapted. to remain contact with each bag unti after the turn-table has moved the bag behind the retaining means 62. This is possible by reason of the :end 55 being pivoted as at 63 to the main portion 54 of A spring 64 fastened to the main portion of the pusher and to a heel 65 of pusher 55, tends to maintain the end 55 extended. Heel portion 65 is adapted to strike a stop pin 66 on portion 56L to prevent spring 64 from moving portion 55 beyond extended position. The end 56- of the pusher is carried along a certain distance when the turn-table rotates by its frictional engagement with the bag neck compressed in the notched holding means.

The'zm-ain drive shaft 3 is preferably driven continuously by any suitable means. For instance, this shaft may be provided with gear 67 which meshes :a gear (38 of suitable reduction gearing enclosed in a suitable housing 69, the reduction gearing being driven through a power wheel 70 bet-ween and to advance this bag between these disks into engagement between the disk 30 and disk 29, which further advance the and carry it to one of the notched bagh-olding elements of the turn-table, which the synchronized mechanism has brought into proper position to receive the bag. Thereupom the pusher 54 comes the bag from the rear and pushes it into and compresses it in the notch of the bag-hold ing element. The turntable then starts to rotate and the end of the pusher keeps its engagement against the bag until the turntable has engaged the bag behind the stationary guards 62. hl'eanwhile, the disk has been withdrawn from the disk 23 and the stop :arm 18 has been brought into place .the next bag-holding not-ch of the turn-table is brought into receiving position, the pusher 5.4 is retracted and the feed of the next bag through the feeding apparatus may have started.

However, the turn-tablemay be moved so quickly between steps that the next notch will be brought into bag receiving position before the feed of the bag through the feeding apparatus has actually been started. The speed of turn-table rotation between steps should be arranged to suit the length of time the turn-table should remain stationary to have the bag properly tied by the particular tying means employed.

From the above it will be apparent that by means of this invention and the apparatus and mechanism disclosed in the drawings and herein before described, all the objgcts of this invention noted above and others are attained. c

As many changes could be made in the above construction and as many widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all mat. ter contained in the above description or 1 and a co-acting member, at least one of said members being adapted for relative translatory movement with respect to the other to engage a bag between them, said disk being rotatable to advance an en aged bag between said members, means for effecting said relative translator-y movement or" said members, and means for efiecting bag advancing rotation of said disk.

Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, two coacting disks, at least one adapted for relative translatory movement with respect to the other to engage a bag therebetween, and at least one of said disks being rotatable to advance an engaged bag therebetween, means for effecting said relative translatory movement, and means for efiecting said bag advancing disk rotation.

4. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, a disk mounted for idle rotation, a second disk mounted for translatory movement and rotation, means.

for moving a second disk toward the idler disk to engage a bag therebetween, and means for rotating the second disk to advance an engaged bag between said disks.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, two co-acting bag feeding disks, one of said disks-being rotat ably mounted on a swinging bracket, means resiliently pressing the swinging disk against the other disk, and means for rotating one of said disks. v

6. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, a disk mounted for idle rotation, a second disk mounted for translatory movement and rotation, means for moving the second disk toward the idler disk to engage a bag therebetween, means for rotating the second disk to advance an enga ed bag between said disks,a third rotatable disk co-acting with the idler disk and positioned to receive between it and the idler disk bags advanced between the idler disk and the second disk, and means for rotating the third disk to advance bags engaged thereby.

7. Apparatus of the character described,

including, in combination, an idler disk, two

power disks adapted 'to engage and co-act with the idler disk, one in advance of the other, and means for rotating said power disks whereby a bag engaged between one of said power disks and the idler disk will be advanced thcrebetween into engagement between the other power disk and the idler disk will be advanced between the latter.

8. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, an idler disk, two power disks adapted to engage and co-act with the idler disk, one in advance of the other, means for rotating said power disks whereby a bag engaged between one of said power disks and the idler disk will be advanced therebetween into engagement between the other power disk and the idler disk and will be advanced between the latter, and means for effecting translatory movement of the first power disk with respect to the idler disk to permit a bag to be entered between said disks and not to be engaged thereby until said power disk has been moved toward the idler disk.

9. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, bag receiving means providing a bag receiving passage and adapted to hold bags in said passage, retaining means adapted to receive and hold bags for tying, adjustable delivery means, means for adjusting said delivery means to engage bags disposed in the receiving means and means to actuate the delivery means to deliver the engaged bags to the retaining means.

10. Apparatus of the character described,

including, in combination, bag receiving means providing a bag receiving passage and adapted to hold bags in said passage, retaining means adapted to receive and hold bags for tying, delivery means including a plurality of disks, at least one being adjustable relatively to another to engage a bag therebetween, and at least one disk being rotatable to advance an engaged bag, means for effectin said adjustment of the adjustable disk and means for rotating the rotatable disk.

11. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, retaining means including a notched member adapted to receive and hold bags for tying, delivery'means' adapted to engage bags fed thereto, and to advance engaged bags to said notched member, seating means adapted to seat and compress in the notch or" the notched member bags advanced thereto by the delivery means, said seating means including a pusher member adapted to engage from the rear a bag advanced by the delivery means and to push and compress the engaged bag into the notch of said notched member, and means to move said notched member, said pusher member being adapted to remain in compressing contact with the seated bag during anjcxtent of movement of the notched member.

12. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, retaining means including a notched member adapted to receive and hold bags for tying, means for moving said retaining means, means adapted on movement of the retaining meansto maintain a bag compressed in the notch of said notched member, delivery means adapted to engage bags fed thereto, and to advance an engaged bag to the notch of said notched member, and seating means adapted to seat and compress in said notch a bag delivered thereto by the delivery means and to maintain compressing contact with the seated bag during movement of the retaining means, taking the seated bag into engagement with the holding means associated with the retaining means.

13. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, retaining means including a notched member adapted to receive and hold bags for tying, means for moving said retaining'means, means adapted on movement of the retaining means to maintain a bag compressed in the notch of said notched member, delivery means adapted to engage bags fed thereto and to advance an engaged bag to the notch of said notched member, and seating means adapted to seat and compress in said notch a bag delivered thereto by the delivery means and to maintain compressing contact with the seated bag during movement of the retaining means, taking the seated bag into engagement with the holding means associated with the retaining means, said seating means including a pusher member adapted to engage from the rear a bag advanced by the delivery means to the notch of said notched member.

14. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, retaining means including a rotatable turn-table having a bag notch, means for rotating the turntable, delivery means adapted to engage a bag fed thereto and to deliver said bag to a bag notch of the turn-table and seating means adapted to seat and compress in said notch a bag delivered thereto by the delivery means, said seating means being adapted to maintain compressing contact with the seated bag during an extent of rotation of the turn-table.

15. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, retaining means including a rotatable turn-table having a bag notch, means for rotating the turn-table,

delivery means adapted to engage a bag fed thereto and to deliver said bag to a bag notch of the turn-table, seating means adapted to seat and compress in said notch a bag delivered thereto by the delivery means, said seating means being adapted to maintain compressing contact with the seated bag during an extent of rotation of the turn-table, and means associated with the turn-table for maintaining said bag compressed in said notch after the compressing contact of the seating means ceases.-

16. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, delivery means including two co-acting disks relatively adjustable to engage a bag therebetween and one of said disks being rotatable to advance an engaged bag therebetween, means for receiving and holding bags in position to be engaged by said disks, and means for adjusting said disks to engage a bag engaged with receiving means.

17. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, delivery means including two co-acting disks relatively 'adjustable to engage a bag therebetween and one of said disks being rotatable to advance an engaged bag therebetween, means for receiving and holding bags in stationary position to be engaged by said disks, means for adjusting said disks to engage a bag engaged with receiving means, and an adjustable stop member associated with said receiving means locating bags in the receiving means in position to be engaged by said disks.

18. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, bag receiving means providing a bag receiving passage and adapted to hold bags in said passage, means including a stop member movable into position across said passage to arrest movement of bags therethroughand movable away from said passage to permit bags to move therethrough, delivery means adjustable to engage bags at said location in the passage, means for moving said stop member away from said passage, and means for adjusting the delivery means to engage a bag in the passage while said stop member is away from said passage.

19. Apparatus of the character described, including, adapted to receive and hold bags for tying, receiving means providing a bag receiving passage and adapted to hold bags therein for delivery to the retaining means, delivery means including a plurality of rotatable disks adapted to engage bags presented by the receiving means and to deliver the engaged bags to the retaining means, and adjustable stop means associated with the receiving means for locating bags in the receiving means in position to be engaged by the delivery means.

7 20. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, retaining means adapted to receive and holdbags for ty-' ing, receiving means providing a bag receiving passage and adapted to hold bags therein for delivery to the retaining means,

in combination, retaining .means I delivery means including a pluralityof rotatable disks adapted to engage bags presented by the receiving means and to deliver the engaged bags to the retaining means, adjustable stop means associated with the receiving means for locating bags in the receiving means in position to be engaged by the delivery means, said delivery disks being adjustable out of bag engaging relation and said stop means being adjustable out of stop position, and means whereby said disks are adjusted into bag engaging relation and for adjusting said stop means into inoperative position at predetermined times.

21. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, a pivotally mounted bracket, a bag advancing disk rotatably mounted on said bracket, and means for oscillating said bracket to move said disk into and out of bag engaging position.

22. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, a pivotally mounted bracket, a bag advancing disk rotatably mounted on said bracket, and means for oscillating said bracket to move said disk into and out of bag engaging position, said means including a rotatable shaft, an arm secured to said shaft and connected with said bracket, and mechanism for rocking said shaft at predetermined times.

23. Apparatus of the character described, including, inv combination, a pivotally mounted bracket, a bag advancing disk rotatably mounted on said bracket, means for oscillating said bracket to move said disk into and out of bag engaging position, said means including a rotatable shaft, an arm secured to said shaft and connected with said secured to said shaft whereby, when said arm moves out of stopping position, said disk moves into bag engaging position and vice versa.

25. Apparatus of the character described,

including, in combination, a rotatable idler disk, a pivoted bracket, a bag engaging disk rotatably carried on said bracket and movable into and out of bag engaging relation with said idler disk, a second pivotally mounted bracket, a secondbag engaging disk rotatably mounted on said bracket, means for holding said second bag engaging disk 1n bag engaging relation with said idler disk, and means for continuously rotating said bag engaging disks.

26. Apparatus of the character described, including, in COIIlblIlZLtlOIl,ZL rotatable idler disk, a pivoted bracket, a bag engaging disk rotatably carried on said bracket and movable into and out of bag engaging relation with said idler disk, a second pivotally mounted bracket, a second bag engaging disk rotatably mounted on said bracket, means for holding said second bag engaging disk in bag engaging relation with said idler disk, means for continuously rotating said bag engaging'disks, means tending to move said bag engaging disks toward each other, and means for limiting the extent to which said disks may approach each other.

27. In an apparatus of the character described, bag pushing and compressing mechanism, including a pusher member comprising a body portion and an end portion pivoted to the body portion, and means resiliently retaining said body and end portions in extended relation, permitting movement of said end portion with respect to the body portion.

28. Apparatus of the character described, including, in combination, bag receiving means providing a bag receiving passage and adapted to hold bags stationary in said passage, means including a stop member movable into position across said passage to arrest movement of bags therethrough and movable away from said passage to permit bags to move therethrough, means for moving said stop member across and away from said passage, delivery means including arpair of relatively adjustable rotatable disks, means for bringing said disks together against opposite sides of a bag located in said passage in position determined by said stop member, and means for rotating one of said disks to advance a bag so engaged by the disks.

This specification signed this 8th day of October, 1929.

HENRY B. FOULDER. 

